Venetian blind



o1. 11, 193s. NT2 2,132,991

VENETIAN' BLIND Filed Sept. 27, 1937 FITI 2 Z INVENTOR y /4 l LouisMintz BY 7 S F1' .E "'Mf m j ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 11, 1938 UNITEDSTATES PATENT oFFlCE Louis Mints, Cleveland, Ohio Application'September27, 1937, SerialNo. 165,804

v 1 Claim.

This invention relates to Venetian blinds and has for its object toprovide such a blind with a` supporting bar which is formed to provide ahousing for the blind operating mechanism which provides a rigid supportfor the blind'which is of pleasing appearance and which canbereconomically manufactured.

AA further object is to provide a combined supporting bar and housingfor the blind operating mechanism which is formed of a. material whichmatches the material of the slats which is of'a thickness correspondingsubstantially to the width of the slats and which is so constructed thatwhen mounted in a Window frame it eiectuallyconceals the blind operatingmechanism.

With the above and other objects in view the invention may be said tocomprise the device as illustrated in the accompanying drawing,'hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the appended claims,together with such variations and modifications thereof as will beapparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention appertains.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part ofthis specification in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a Venetianblind embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the supporting bar which provides thehousing for the blind operating mechanism, a portion of the barintermediate its ends being broken away to show the mechanism mountedwithin the bar;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the supporting bar;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the supporting bar viewed as indicated at4-4 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line indicated at 5-5 in Fig. 2; y

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line indicated at 6 6 in Fig'. 2;

Fig. '7 is a side elevation of the guiding and locking device for theblind lifting cables;

v Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the device shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of oneof the bar-supporting brackets; and

Fig. 10 is a section taken on the line indicated at Ill-I0 in Fig. 9.

In Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing a Venetian blind embodying theinvention is shown mounted upon the interior of a window frame I,

the blind comprising a top bar 2, slats 3 connected to suitableSlat-tilting strips 4 of fabric or other suitable exible material. Thestrips 4 extend vertically along opposite sides of the blind and areconnected to opposite edges of the slats 3 so that, by raising thestrips on one side and lowering the strips on`the other side, the slats3 may be tilted to the desired angle. The upper end of the strips 4 areattached to drums 5 which are mounted upon a shaft 6 so that, when theshaft is turned in one direction or the other, the drums 5 turning withthe shaft operate the strip's 4 t'o tilt the slats 3. 'I'he shaft 6carries a worm gear l which meshes with a worm 8 totwhich is attached asheave 9 operated by a cable I0. The ends of the cable I0 extenddownwardly from the sheave 9 and the ends of the cable may be provided`with handles vI I. By meansof the cable I0 the shaft 6 may be turned inone direction or the other toimpart the desired angle of tilt in eitherdirection to the slats 3.

Within the drums 5 pulleys I2 and I3 are pivotally suspended from theshaft 6 and receive cables I4 and I5 which extend down to the bottom barof the blind adjacent opposite ends thereof. By pulling on the cables I4and I5 the blind is'raised, collapsing the slats 3. Upon release of thecables I4 and I5 the blind is lowered by gravity. The drums 5 areprovided with slots I6 n which accommodate the cables I4 and I5 in anyangular position of the drums. The cables I4 and I5 extend over pulleysI 1 mounted in an end of the bar 2 beyond the end of the shaft 6opposite that at which the cable I0 is located. The raising and loweringof the blind is accomplished by operating the cables I4 and I5, whilethe tilting of the slats is accomplished by the ca.- ble I0 in the usualand conventional manner.

The supporting bar 2 is a one-piece bar of rectangular cross section,preferably composed of a material similar to that of the slats 3, sothat when painted the external appearance of the bar will correspond tothat of the slats 3. The thicl'rness of the bar 2 correspondssubstantially to the width of the slats 3 so that, when the slats arecollapsed against the bottom of the bar 2 the edges of the slats aresubstantially flush with the outer face of the supporting bar 2. t' ispreferred to construct the slats 3 and also the supporting bar 2 ofwood. 'I'he side faces of the bar 2 are continuous smooth faces havingno apertures or parts attached thereto, and the barr 2 is of a length toextend substantially the full length of the space between the sidemembers of a window frame.` Y

' In order to house the actuating mechanismv within the bar 2 the bar isprovided with drum-receiving recesses I8 and I9 which are spaced fromthe ends of the bar and which are spaced from each other. The recessesI8 and I9 are of a width v and depth such as to provide fairly thinbottom and side walls at the bcttom and sides of the bar.

The rigidity and strength of the bar is mainlof the bar.

tained, however, by reason of the fact that beyond the ends of therecesses I8 and I9 and between the recesses I6 and I9'the bar isweakened very little. The short thin-walled portions of the barproviding the bottoms and sides of the chambers I8 and I9 are cfrelatively short length and, since these thin-wailed portions of the baralternate with relatively stiff portions ci the bar, the bar is notgreatly weakened by the mechanism-receiving recesses. By reason of itsconstruction as above described the bar of the present invention needsto be of a width and depth but `little greater .than the drum diameterand has sufficient strength to support a wide blind withc-utintermediate supports or braces.

Between the recesses I8 and I9 the bar is provided with a narrow channel20 of less depth than the recesses I8 and I9 to receive the shaft 6 andthe cable I4. The thick walls at opposite sides of the central channel28 greatly stiffen the sides of the bar 2 and the thickened portion atthe bottom of the channel 28 greatly stiiens the bott-om wall of thebar. The drum recesses I8 and I9 are provided withcable openings 2|directly beneath the shaft 6 through which the slot-lifting cables I4and I5 pass. At opposite sides thereof the recesses I8 and i9 areprovided with slots 22 through which the Slat-tilting strips 4 pass. Therecess E3 is provided in the bottom with a slot 23 through which thecable I0 extends. I

The shaft 61s journaled at one end in a bracket 24 which is secured tothe bottom of the recess I8 by means of screws 25 and the opposite `endof the shaft is journaled in a bracket 26 secured by screws 21 to thebottom of the recess I9. The screws 25 and 21 are accessible from theopen top of the recesses I8 and i9 so that the shaft 6,'

recesses |152 and I9 are of a depth such that the tops of the drums arebelowthe lplane cf the top surface of the bar, sothat the actuatingmechanism is completely housed within the bar and completely concealedwhen the blind is placed in the window frame.

The guard pulley I1 for the cables I4 and I5 is mounted in a iJ-shapedbracket 28. The end of the bar in which bracket 28 is mounted s providedwith a laterally inclined slot 29l within which the U-shaped bracket 28fits. The bracket 28 is of a width just sufcient to accomodate theroller I1, which is just wide enough to receive the two cables I4 andI5. The lateral inclination of the roller I1 is such as to permit'tloecon-l venient lifting of the blind by a pull on the cables I4 and I5 ina direction inclined outwardly from the vertical. The free ends of theU-shaped brackets 28 are provided withl horizontal flanges 38 whichrestupon shoulders on opposite sides of the upper edge of the inclined slots29 which are provided by a wide channel in the top part The bracket issectired in place by means of screws 3I securing the flanges 30 to theshoulders on which they rest. The screws 3l are also accessible from thetop of the bar so that the bracket 28 is readily removable. 'I'he bottom28 is entirely concealed when the blind is in place inthe window frame.The bracket 28 also reinforces the slotted end of the bar 2.

To keep the cables I4 and I5 side by side upon .the pulleys i1 thebottom of the bracket 28 is prot'ided with a central linger 32 whichprojects inwardly beneath the pulley I1 between the two cables I4 andI5. Means are provided for locking the cables I4 and I5 in the pulley I1in any position of adjustment of the blind. The locking of the cables iseffected by the shifting of the cables I4 and I5 laterally toward theadjacent edge of the blind after the desired adjustment is made. Thelocking member is a knurled roller 33 which is journaled i-n a U-shapedarm 34 which is niounted to swing upon a pivot 35. The pivot.

35 is mounted in the bracket 28 outwardiyof the pulley I1. The knurledroller 33 normally rests upon the bottom of the bracket 28, in whichposition of the roller ,the supporting arm 34 is inclined downwardly andinwardly from the pivot 35. In this position of the knurled roller itsperiphery is closely adjacent the cables I4 and I5 when the same arehanging vertically down from the pulley I1. When the cables I4 and I5are moved outwardly against the knurled roller 33 they frictionalyengage with the periphery of the roller 33 and, as the cables moveupwardly, cause the roller 33 to prem the cables I4 and I5 against theperiphery of the roller 33 to press `the cables I4 and I5 against theperiphery of the roller I1, firmly clampingthe cables I4 and I5 againstfurther movement. Upward movement of the arm 34 is limited by a. lug 36formed integrally with a side wall of the bracket 28. The 36 preventsupward movement of the arm 34 'beyond the clamping position.

The mechanism housing bar 2 has a close fit within the upper portion ofa. window frame so that the top bar of the window frame will form bar 2is supported by two rectangular thin metal brackets 31 secured in theupper inner corners of the window frame. The brackets 31 have flat sideportions secured by screws 38 to the side bars of the window frame andare provided with short inwardly extending anges 39 along the top, rearand bottom margins thereof, the front u of these brackets being open toreceive an end of the bar 2. The length of the bar 2 is such as to fitsnugly between the side faces of the brackets 31 and the depth of thebar is such as to fit snugly between the top and bottom flanges of thebrackets. Adjacent each end the bar 2 is provided on the under side witha projecting pin 48 which enters a slot 4I in the bottom flange of asupporting bracket and each bracket is provided with a hook 42 adaptedto be moved into engagement with a pin 40 to lock the bar in thebracket.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the particular apparatus shownand described is presented for purposes of explanation and illustrationand that various modifications can be made without departing from myinvention as defined in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In a Venetian blind of the type provided with lifting cables andSlat-tilting drums carried by a shaft and connected through flexiblemembers to the slats, a combined mechanism housing and head barcoinprising a wood bar having mecha*- msm-receiving recesses routed outfrom the top face thereof and openings through its bottom face for saidcables and flexible members, said recesses comprising drum-receivingrecesses spaced 2.182..1 epm longitudinally and located -inwerdiy of theends ot the bar and a. narrowe and shcllower shaft-receiving recessacross the space between A.

the drum recesses, said drum-receiving recesses being of a width anddepth to 'provide drum-receiving chambers with relatively-thin side nndbottom walls, said har having rigid end portions' and .a rigid portionof substantial lenlth between the drum recesses, the relatively lhortthin-walled portions beim intervened between and integral with mororluidportiomot the bnr whereby a housing bei' ofl rele.-

tiveiy smgllsiae and rlxidity is provided.

